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My W124 Obsession- The Search Begins-Advice?

1K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  ClassE 
#1 ·
So, I might seem like a Newbie, but I've been lurking in these forums for longer than I'd like to admit and I'm finally getting ready to begin my search for a 1994 or 1995 E420.

A little background (for those of you who care)-

My W124 obsession began when in 1986 when I saw my first 300E. It looked completely futuristic to me at the time- unlike anything else on the road. In 1988 my parents were in the market for a new car and upon my recommendation drove the E-Class and loved it. They bought a 1988 300E Smoke Silver with Pal MB Tex. We eventually outgrew it and sold it for something bigger, but I always loved that car. In a lot of ways, I actually prefer the looks of the 1986-1989 W124s before they added the cladding in the later models-- the cars have a much cleaner, less dated look. That said, practically speaking, it makes more sense for me to get a newer/more up-to-date model.

Now that I've been working for a few years, I have found a renewed interest in the cars I was obsessed with in my youth (the W124, the Series III Jaguar XJ6, and the 1990-92 Lexus LS400 will all eventually be mine--all three for less than the price of a new Accord!). My current car is a BMW X5 but I don't really plan on leasing another new car when my lease expires in a few months. I walk to work and really only drive on nights and weekends. So, this seems like the time to begin my quest for the perfect E420.

In my mind, the perfect E420 is a 1994 or 1995, in either Brilliant Silver, Black pearl, Black, Navy, Black Opal, or Moonstone Grey (which is pretty rare) with anything other than Blue interior (Palomino would be ideal). Less than 100K miles and well maintained. I don't really plan on any mods other than some AMG 17-inch wheels, a new stereo w/bluetooth/sat/ipod connectivity, and possibly remote locks (I know it can be problematic with the vacuum locks, so we'll see if that works out---at the very least I'lll get a switchblade key!)

I've been looking in the classified sections of the benz forums (here, mbworld, mercedesshop) as well as Craigslist, Ebay, Autotrader, and Cars.com. Are there any other sites I should be checking out?

Thanks in advance! These forums are excellent and very helpful.
 
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#3 ·
That's a fine choice. Avoid ASR, lots of problems. You've pretty got it covered on the listing sources. Star magazine ads from MB Club tends to have nice cars, but high prices. No Black Opal in 94/95, just Black Pearl, no palomino interior either, just creme beige and saddle. Good luck.
 
#7 ·
Welcome to the board. You might want to fill out your profile so we can know where you are located [in a general way]. You never know who might be in your area that knows of a dealer that might just have the car you are looking for.

As said before, try to get a car that has had the wiring harness replaced [it would be good to have records of past repairs/service]. Other than the harness, the shopping should be fairly easy. Make usre to get an inspection from a indy shop that you trust. It might cost a 100 or so but will be well worth it to find out if the car has been totaled/rebuilt or is in need of EVERYTHING.
 
#8 · (Edited)
ClassE said:
Really? I thought Black Opal was a special edition color in 1995. Isn't this the black opal color?
Blue 1995 Mercedes-Benz E-Class E320 For Sale in Belmont, New Hampshire – Buy This Used Car Today

Also, when did they start calling the Palamino color saddle?
No, the SE color in 1995 was Saphirschwartz or Sapphire Black (DB009) which looks blue. Black Opal, DB189 replaced Black Pearl (DB199) in 1996.

Saddle is a different color than palomino, darker, like butterscotch or peanut butter. I think 1993 was the last year for palomino, it was the last year for a lot of things, color choices, interior and exterior, were cut way back in the 1994 with some price cuts. My recollection is that 1993 E-class had about 30 paint color choices, 1994 had about 10 - sadly.

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#9 ·
Very interesting. I remember the old E-Class brochures had a lot of color options that seemed outrageous and that I never saw on the road. It seemed like the 1994/1995 models had more exterior color options and not less--probably because Mercedes focused on making more colors of mass-appeal (Emerald Green, etc.). Lots of crazy interior choices too- like brown, burgundy, and even green leather seemed to be available back in the late 1980s.
 
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